We have all heard that dogs are man’s best friend. They are our companions, confidantes, emotional support, and can give us purpose in an otherwise monotonous or chaotic life. Our pups truly are our best friends, our adventure buddies when no one else will go, our constant shadows when loneliness creeps in, and our preferred cuddles when the world is just a little too much. We can’t help but smile when we look at our furry friends, and just can’t believe how we ever lived without them.
However, some dogs have a purpose other than being a house companion. They are on the front lines of combat, assisting military personnel with sniffing out explosives and mines that would have otherwise gone unseen. They provide comfort for those so far away from home, the ones they love, and safety. Survivors trapped in a destroyed building and war-torn landscapes rely on these super sniffers and their ability to find people in the rubble where normal machinery and technology cannot reach.
Some dogs work in their hometowns with first responders, using their keen senses to find people in fires, collapsed buildings. They assist responders in finding survivors after a devastating natural disaster such as avalanches, floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes.
Some pups are trained to assist some pretty special kids and people, who just need some extra help with life, whether that be mobility, a calming presence, or even to detect life threatening drops in blood sugar for people with diabetes. They provide emotional support for the elderly, and a constant presence for veterans who return home and struggle to adapt to life at home. For people who struggle with mental health such as depression, these furry companions offer calm energy and purpose.
Dogs are in short. . . . Amazing.
And this is where the purpose of this blog emerges. To bring attention to the pups who were a part of history, and heroes in their own right alongside the human ones. To those who are local warriors, whether their battle be physical or emotional. To those who are personal assistants and companions. Their stories should be researched and read and seen. Their purpose in life should be brought to light and known.
This blog will be written with historical research and admiration for the canines and animals within the pages of the story of the world we live in today. Dogs are not the only animals who can be heroes, and while they will be the primary focus, they will not be the only amazing creatures featured. But I hope, that by reading the fantastic, death defying, and heroic stories of the animals within these posts, you will grow in your admiration for these creatures and gain motivation to find your purpose.
Because isn’t that all what we are striving for? To find our purpose?
These are the stories of those pups and animals who found theirs.